Intraarterial prednisolone infusion therapy in ulcerative colitis

Thirty-seven patients with ulcerative colitis who had shown inadequate response to conventional medical therapies were given intraarterial infusions of prednisolone via the superior and inferior mesenteric arteries. The therapy was effective in 31 (57%) of 54 infusions, including three of five cases of toxic megacolon. The effectiveness of the therapy correlated well with the clinical assessment of disease activity. There was also a positive correlation between the caliber of the inferior mesenteric artery and the effectiveness of the therapy. Intraarterial infusion of prednisolone can lead to improvement of ulcerative colitis, and this mode of therapy should be considered particularly in severe cases.